I built this home in a mostly homeowner community and it blends in with the existing homes.

I use a blended approach like many portfolio managers use with stocks and bonds.

I feel that in order for any deal to go seamlessly each side has to be very well informed and knowledgeable as to all cost and all risks assumed.

Might offer you a better blended rate so only part of your long term debt is on the higher interest rate. 

Good color blend throughout. 

Doing so will better reflect your cost of money over the term.This is pretty much why I don't get excited over landlords or investors speaking about cap rates and cash on cash returns, to be accurate, you need to look at the blended or weighted contributions to the deal.

You can generally expect ongoing education and advisory support to keep you on the right path regarding IRS compliance as you use the tool.While you can cobble this together with your own local CPA and/or attorney, it will not be nearly as seamless or robust.  

At this point I don't think I will need to blend the two.

My recommendation to all first time investors is to purchase in the best neighborhood you can that will give you both a blend of a decent return, low maintenance tenants, and a history of appreciation.  

Granted this was a time period in which they were plucking up farm property for under $30K and rural areas blended with planned development over time.